5 most underpaid players at Manchester City right now
Manchester City are among a selective crop of elite clubs in Europe who fight for the title in every competition they contest. At the helm, they have one of the most sought after managers in Pep Guardiola, who has definitely been one of the best this century.
But football is a business and the best clubs in the game are able to maintain their status due to the financially strong machinery that works behind the scenes. Owners who can invest heavily in the club are much desired by fans and help achieve continental success on the pitch and global success in terms of popularity.
Manchester City are backed by cash-rich owners
Manchester City are blessed to have UAE-based Sheikh Mansour bin Zayad al Nahyan investing heavily in them since taking ownership in 2008. Thanks to the lofty funds he brings to the Etihad, Manchester City have hardly ever found a target too costly for their pocket.
Even though they invest heavily in signing players from other competitive clubs in Europe, not everyone in their ranks is earning a fortune. In fact, there are players in the camp whose salaries you feel would be pretty high-profile but they are lower than one would expect.
A great case in point is someone like Ruben Dias. In what was his first season at Manchester City last year, the Portuguese exceeded expectations by a big margin.
Even though the club paid €60m for his signature, it was very much a costly gamble and they tied him to a decent introductory salary of nearly £115,000 per week. For a man who won the Premier League player of the season in only his first season, he could be demanding a sky-rocketing wage during the next negotiation. But there are five other names who are quite underpaid at Manchester City:
Note: All wages are as listed on Spotrac.com.
#5 Rodri - £121,154 per week
When Pep Guardiola did not start Rodri in the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea, many Manchester City fans could see their ship sinking. With the first half getting over, even Guardiola would have realized he made a costly mistake.
It is true that the Premier League champions were always going to have a tough task finding the rightful heir to Fernandinho. But most agree that Rodri has proven his credentials to be their reliable holding midfielder for the time to come.
He earns a little over £120,000 every week, which is a handsome amount but just because he is not scoring as often as Ilkay Gundagon, doesn't mean he deserves less. Signed from Atletico Madrid for £56 million, Rodri has protected the backline to great effect.
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He is a constant disruption to the opposition as they build their momentum. His perfectly timed interceptions often attract great praise. He has played a crucial role in the Sky Blues' nine Premier League games as they have only conceded four times.
The goal-line clearence of Fabinho's shot in Manchester City's tie against Liverpool epitomized Rodri's presence of mind and defensive contributions. In his third season with Manchester City, Rodri has featured for them 116 times in all competitions.
#4 Kyle Walker - £110,000
Blessed with pace in abundance, Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker is definitely among the best right-backs in the Premier League. Ever since joining Manchester City in 2017 for a transfer fee of £50 million, Walker has been a regular starter for Guardiola's men.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that he has been a successful heir to Manchester City beloved Pablo Zabaletta, their former right back. After 194 appearances for the Sky Blues, it is clear that be it shackling tricky wingers or delivering pinpoint crosses, Walker is comfortable doing both.
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His current contract runs until 2024 and the 31-year-old is currently earning £110,000 on a weekly basis. Given the lofty nature of Manchester City's accounts, it does seem that a servant of Walker's quality should be earning more than that.
For England, the Manchester City player has been utilized as a right-centre-back in a rearguard of three. His physicality has helped him adapt to the situation and made him more versatile and calculative as a defender. At 31, it is difficult to see Walker getting an upgrade on the deal and he may have to serve his contract at the aforementioned wages only.